A couple of readers have asked for my thoughts about the suicide note of the guy who flew his plane into an IRS building. For the purposes of this post, I’m going to assume the basic news reporting is accurate, and that this is really the guy’s suicide note. Apparently the guy had had repeated troubles with his business for various reasons, and he ended the note on these terms:

I know I’m hardly the first one to decide I have had all I can stand. It has always been a myth that people have stopped dying for their freedom in this country, and it isn’t limited to the blacks, and poor immigrants. I know there have been countless before me and there are sure to be as many after. But I also know that by not adding my body to the count, I insure nothing will change. I choose to not keep looking over my shoulder at “big brother” while he strips my carcass, I choose not to ignore what is going on all around me, I choose not to pretend that business as usual won’t continue; I have just had enough.

I can only hope that the numbers quickly get too big to be white washed and ignored that the American zombies wake up and revolt; it will take nothing less. I would only hope that by striking a nerve that stimulates the inevitable double standard, knee-jerk government reaction that results in more stupid draconian restrictions people wake up and begin to see the pompous political thugs and their mindless minions for what they are. Sadly, though I spent my entire life trying to believe it wasn’t so, but violence not only is the answer, it is the only answer. The cruel joke is that the really big chunks of shit at the top have known this all along and have been laughing, at and using this awareness against, fools like me all along.

I saw it written once that the definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over and expecting the outcome to suddenly be different. I am finally ready to stop this insanity. Well, Mr. Big Brother IRS man, let’s try something different; take my pound of flesh and sleep well.

The communist creed: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.

The capitalist creed: From each according to his gullibility, to each according to his greed.

Here are my thoughts:

(1) This guy should not be (secretly) applauded by libertarians. There could have been a bunch of little kids who died in the fire, and they needn’t even have been the kids of the IRS agents (as if that would make it acceptable “collateral damage”). There could have been delinquent taxpayers in the building pleading their cases, who brought their kids along. Since this guy doesn’t know know the difference between “principal” and “principle” I’m not confident that he scoped the building out beforehand to be exactly sure of his target. This guy’s justification is the same as George Bush’s: There are bad people out there I don’t like, so I’m going to lash out and hopefully I’ll kill some of the bad people. (BTW if any of you are planning on attacking DC, don’t do it when I’m testifying please. I’ll post my schedule.)

(2) OK let’s put aside the moral objections. From a PR perspective this was a disaster. This guy has singlehandedly discredited the Tea Party movement and other, peaceful Resistance efforts more than Sarah Palin’s single hand (with notes written on it). Can you imagine how much we’re going to hear about the hateful rhetoric of talk radio, angry online rants against the government, blah blah blah?

(3) Finally, let’s put aside the moral objections, and let’s forget winning hearts and minds because we’ve written off the “sheeple.” It’s just the hardcore dude with his plane, and a few thousand other people, stacked up against the might of the US federal government. Was that a good use of his life? What exactly will this accomplish? Is the IRS not going to be able to recruit people? Of course not, it will (if anything) just mean that the IRS has to lower the bar further. I suppose it’s possible some agents will be less likely to really harass somebody on a fuzzy case, but that is hardly worth sacrificing your life for.

It is foolish to try to fight the government on their terms, using violence. They are professionals; they thrive on it. You will never be as ruthless as the people employed by the government. That is a good thing; it’s to your credit. Don’t be ashamed of your timidity in causing death and destruction on innocent bystanders when you are in conflict with another group.

The only way to restore liberty in the United States is to convince far more Americans that they have foolishly forfeited their freedoms, in exchange for promises of economic and military security that lying politicians cannot possibly fulfill. If we convince enough Americans, there will be no need for bloodshed. If we cannot convince enough Americans, no amount of violent rebellion will work. Violence is neither necessary nor sufficient to restore liberty.

We must convince others of the justness of our cause.

You don’t persuade people by flying planes into buildings.

UPDATE: In addition to the pro-Obama people saying this just shows how awful talk radio is blah blah blah, I expect to be equally disgusted by Rush Limbaugh et al. not condoning the attack but trying to understand the motives. And for sure they won’t recommend that we stop letting white people into the country. Why, I bet they would even be OK with the government investigating this as a criminal act, as opposed to an act of war.

(For newcomers, my point is that the right wing talk show guys will not treat this the same way they treated Muslims flying planes into buildings because they oppose evil actions by the US government.)

Anon, I understand why he was frustrated; I just spent a year paying a big number per month working off back taxes. When you get in a hole it is difficult to get out, because you owe more when you earn money to pay down your IRS debt. I get that, and of course I know that what they do with the taxes is itself awful.

There are people who are writing much more eloquent and persuasive complaints against the government. That is part of my point. This guy decided he wanted people to hear about his particular misfortune, and so the way he got attention wasn't to write something profound, or to come up with a hilarious YouTube hook and then read his message after the joke, etc. etc. No, he flew his plane into a building and gave the government and its allies a wonderful trump card.

Almost all of this guys complaints seem legitimate. Especially the part about how the middle class and poor bailed out the banks.

I read the full 6 page letter and it seemed that he was a normal guy who truly wanted to believe that the government still existed to serve the people. After 30 years he just couldn't take it anymore. I would challenge any libertarian to tell me that they haven't felt the same.

I do not agree with what he did, the employees at the IRS although they maybe quislings, certainly are not in any authority position and are innocent.

I don't think the coward that did this deserves to be taken at face value.

He also locked his wife and daughter in his home and set it on fire. What was he trying to awaken the world from with that?

The 'politics' of that note are nothing but the ramblings of a narcissist. A man who could not fail and therefore whose every misfortune must be an injustice and whose cowardly suicide must be an act of martyrdom.

"And for sure they won't recommend that we stop letting white people into the country."

Bob, instead of making asinine comments like this, why don't you spend some time trying to understand what EMH means (since you frequently mis-characterize it in your various writings, despite being repeatedly corrected over at the mises blog).

The man was a coward and a murderer at heart. He tried to kill his wife and child- that deserved to be mentioned.

Premptive violent action cannot be condoned, even if I believe, as he claimed, that the government is slowly but surely becoming an explicit enemy of freedom. The American public is heavily armed, still, and if we choose to change things, it won't require much violence to do so, just a willingness to not cooperate with the government's aims. We should always keep this point in mind.

BTW I didn't mention the stuff about his wife and kid because the news was still spotty when I wrote this, and because I wouldn't put it past the government to say that in order to instantly discredit the guy. So that's why I didn't bring it up.

In addition to all the important points made by Dr. Murphy, this type of activity sets back getting rid of the IRS which depends entirely upon popular support for its actions.

The IRS can operate like it does because juries ALWAYS convict people who don't file or don't want to pay taxes. Until the public can be pursuaded that civilization will not end if the income tax is abolished, the acting out of a murderous lunatic certainly is not going to help matters.

"It is foolish to try to fight the government on their terms, using violence. They are professionals; they thrive on it. You will never be as ruthless as the people employed by the government"

this sort of mentality really scares me, it's something only really found in American right wing libertarian conservative circles. it basically says that government is the root of all evil, and obviously it leads to wack jobs flying planes into buildings.

"For newcomers, my point is that the right wing talk show guys will not treat this the same way they treated Muslims flying planes into buildings because they oppose evil actions by the US government."

If this is true, then what of all that talk about a majority being unnecessary, about only needing an agitated minority setting brush fires of freedom? Tom Paine said that, I believe.

Suppose we convince 51% of Americans that liberty > tyranny. Do you really suppose the government will roll over and say, "oops, we see that we are not providing what you really want. We'll be going now." Do really think that real fundamental change will occur so easily, and without conflict?

Now, I'm not condoning Stack's actions, especially concerning his family. Suicide is easily one of the most selfish acts a person can undertake, in my opinion. However, under all our preaching of the merits of liberty, and morality of self-defense, is there anything to back it up?

Exactly how far must we wait to be pushed before pushing back? I do not believe the powers that be will simply give up and let us go willingly, and I think that eventually there will have to be conflict of some form or another.

His family, who are Christians, forgave the man who killed their father/husband.

Lower the bar????

You went on to say:

It is foolish to try to fight the government on their terms, using violence. They are professionals; they thrive on it. You will never be as ruthless as the people employed by the government.

Wow. I am very disheartened to read that from you. It is obvious that you do not realize that " the people employed by the government" also volunteer in their community, coach kids baseball basketball, soccer teams etc., are involved in their churches, synagogues, mosques, etc.